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Alain Goriely

Mathematics is playing an increasingly important role in society and the sciences, enhancing our ability to use models and handle data. Applied Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction ...
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Mathematics is playing an increasingly important role in society and the sciences, enhancing our ability to use models and handle data. Applied Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the field of applied mathematics and explores its relationships with pure mathematics, science, and engineering. Explaining the nature of applied mathematics, it discusses its early achievements in physics and engineering, and its development as a separate field after World War II. Using historical examples, current applications, and challenges, this VSI illustrates the particular role that mathematics plays in the modern sciences today and its far-reaching potential.Less

John H. Holland

From the movement of flocks of birds to the Internet, environmental sustainability, and market regulation, the study and understanding of complex non-linear systems has become highly ...
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From the movement of flocks of birds to the Internet, environmental sustainability, and market regulation, the study and understanding of complex non-linear systems has become highly influential over the last thirty years. Complexity: A Very Short Introduction introduces the key elements and conceptual framework of complexity. From complex physical systems such as fluid flow and the difficulties of predicting weather, to complex adaptive systems such as the highly diverse and interdependent ecosystems of rainforests, it combines simple, well-known examples—Adam Smith’s pin factory, Charles Darwin’s comet orchid, and Herbert Simon’s “watchmaker”—with an account of the approaches, involving agents and urn models, taken by complexity theory.Less

Fred Piper and Sean Murphy

Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction provides a clear and informative introduction to cryptography and data protection — subjects of considerable social and political ...
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Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction provides a clear and informative introduction to cryptography and data protection — subjects of considerable social and political importance. It explains what algorithms do, how they are used, the risks associated with using them, and why governments should be concerned. Important areas are highlighted, such as Stream Ciphers, block ciphers, public key algorithms, digital signatures, and applications such as e-commerce. This VSI highlights the explosive impact of cryptography on modern society, with, for example, the evolution of the internet and the introduction of more sophisticated banking methods.Less